At the End of Your Knockabout Day
by Galadriel1010
Summary: For Briony Jae. It's the end of a long week at Torchwood, and Jack and Ianto finally get to relax. Scmoop 'verse story. Schmoop bingo prompt: Wine. Kiss bingo prompt: Trickle


**Author's note:** This story dedicated to Briony_Jae. The title comes from a lullabye that my mum sang to me when I was little. It's by Fred Small, and Mum learned it from the singing of Roy Bailey. The song also contains the lyrics "The only measure of your words and your deeds will be the love you leave behind when you're done", which I took very much to heart, and some lovely gay positive stuff that I understood much better when I was tiny than I did when I got older, sadly.

* * *

Ianto had the news on, but he wasn't watching it; it would have been quite hard to do so with his eyes closed, and he couldn't be bothered to open them. Still, it was reasonably relaxing background noise, as long as he didn't listen to it either. The rest of the flat was dark apart from one counter light in the kitchen that he'd put on to check a take-away menu and find the phone to place his and Jack's usual order. It was a normal Torchwood choice – something that was either edible cold or reheated well. Fish and chips was his and Jack's treat, because it symbolised a determination or awareness that they had enough time to finish their chips.

The doorbell rang and he pushed himself up to get it reluctantly, rubbing at his eyes with the realisation that there was still no sign of Jack. Before he'd even finished the thought, though, a key turned in the lock and Jack was pushing the door open, talking quietly. "Just let me put this down and I'll get you the cash, how much was it again?"

"Twelve quid," Ianto called groggily. "I put it on the table..."

"Thanks, Ianto," Jack replied, speaking louder now that he knew Ianto was awake. A moment later he closed the door and leaned over the back of the sofa, turning Ianto's head with one hand to steal a kiss. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

"Not quite," he dropped his head back against the sofa to watch Jack collect the take-away and his bag. "You finished up with the witness?"

"Laura? Yeah, sorted."

"Laura, is it?" Ianto asked, trying to ignore the jealousy. Jack had Retconned her anyway, what did it matter if he knew her name?

Jack chuckled and flopped on the sofa next to him, kissing the exposed curve of his neck. "Jealous, Ianto?"

"I'm exhausted. It makes me irritable about almost anything," he huffed. "Don't gloat."

"Sorry." Jack kissed his cheek in apology, then poked him in the stomach. "Sit up, babe. You can sleep..."

"Babe?" he lifted his head to glare at his partner. "No. Go." He pointed to the table by the window. "Fetch the plates and cutlery."

Jack laughed and did as he was instructed, setting the plates on the coffee table and emptying the trays of curry onto them, then tore the naan in half and set a piece on the side of each plate and placed Ianto's on his lap with a fork. As a finishing touch, he fetched two wine glasses from the drinks cabinet and pulled a bottle of wine out of his bag. "Are you awake enough for a drink?" he checked.

Ianto was more with it now, so he nodded. "It'll put me straight back to sleep, but that might not be such a bad thing."

"I suppose I'll have to cope with you being all dozy and warm and loose for me tonight, then." Jack sighed heavily and handed Ianto a glass of wine.

"Pervert," Ianto muttered, holding the plate steady with one hand and cradling the glass in his other. "You're not taking advantage of me whilst I'm drunk."

"Whyever not?" Jack pouted at him and recorked the bottle with one of the novelty bottle toppers he'd stolen from the TI office. "You didn't complain last time."

"This is true," Ianto agreed thoughtfully, swirling his wine around the glass. "In fact... Nope, you can do it again if you like."

"Oo, how exciting; I have consent." He waggled his eyebrows and laughed at Ianto's long-suffering sigh. He tilted Ianto's chin towards him for one more kiss, then rested two fingers against his cheek and raised his glass in his other hand. "Here's to another week gone."

"Torchwood," Ianto touched their glasses together and smiled. "And us."

"Us," Jack agreed.

By the time they finished eating, they'd turned off the TV and Ianto was halfway through his second glass of wine. Jack collected the plates together and took them through to the kitchen to soak in the sink and dump the take-away boxes into the bin. Whilst he was gone, Ianto turned the TV on again and switched it straight from the drama that first came on to Radio 2. Jack laughed in the kitchen and Ianto heard the lid of the bin flap. When Jack returned, retrieving his glass of wine before he sat down, he wrapped one arm around Ianto's shoulders, and Ianto shifted to lean into him and sighed happily. They were hopelessly domestic when they got the chance – not that that happened often – and not that he minded. It had taken time to get used to snuggling being a reciprocal thing, to having a partner he could fall asleep on without worrying that he was going to crush them, or breasts getting in the way. Getting used to the sex had actually been easier.

"You're thinking too hard," Jack chided him. "Come up here."

He lifted his head and watched Jack take a sip of his wine, then let Jack guide him into a soft kiss. Jack's tongue brushed against his lower lip, cold from the wine, and he opened his mouth obediently, surprised when wine trickled into his mouth. A drop spilled past their joined lips, and Jack chased it with his tongue whilst Ianto chuckled. "I could have told you that would happen."

Jack hummed against Ianto's chin and trailed his kisses down to his neck. "I think I should let you get to bed," he muttered, without giving up his assault.

Ianto took another mouthful of his wine, finishing the glass off, and let his glass rest against his thigh whilst Jack sucked on his Adam's apple. The wine combined with the tiredness had taken up residence, and he was beyond content to lie there and let Jack do whatever he wanted.

When Jack stopped, with half of Ianto's shirt buttons unfastened, it took him a moment to notice, and he blinked at Jack sullenly once he did. "You stopped."

"I did," Jack smiled up at him and kissed his chest once more, then pushed himself back and rested his hands on Ianto's knees. "I think you're drunk."

"I might be." He studied his empty glass and frowned. "Or just very tired."

"Bedtime?" Jack asked, offering his hands, palm up, for Ianto to take.

He nodded, set the glass down and gave Jack his hands, letting Jack pull him up and wrap an arm around his waist, leaning into him for comfort rather than support. "Coming to bed?"

"Yep." Jack pushed him into the bathroom gently. "I'll be with you in a minute."

Ianto smiled and leaned on the sink to brush his teeth, even pleased by the fact that it took him three tries to pick out his toothbrush instead of Jack's.


End file.
